"Family Camp is the highlight of our family's year. Our boys
mark the year Family Camp to Family Camp. As we packed to leave today, one of
our sons said 'Only 51 more weeks til Family Camp! ' "

Home Improvement Ministries was privileged to partner with Camp
Berea to keep the tradition going by offering two weeks of family camp in 2006:
August 1218 and August 1925. Both camps were full and had waiting
lists, which reflects that many have caught the vision for this wonderful
tradition.

Camp Berea invited Home Improvement Ministries to use their
facility for our third annual family camp as well as to direct Camp Berea's
traditional week of family camp (which became director-less after their 2005
camp when Craig and Bonnie Ward resigned their long-held position.) It became
apparent very quickly that it was an ordained union; HIM and Camp Berea are
driven by like passions for strengthening families and marriages and for
providing a well-run, effective program for doing so.

Directed by Paul and Virginia, who had spent the previous eight
weeks in California running family camps at Campus by the Sea on Catalina
Island, both weeks were a great combination of teaching and recreation that
reinforced the theme "Find Us Faithful." Mike and Maggie Rowe of First Baptist
Church in Wheaton, Illinois, were the adult resource couple for each week, and
were well-received as they taught on various themes related to marriage and
parenting. Additionally, the adults all spent time in small group studies each
morning, applying passages from Joshua using study materials written by Paul.
Testimonies given at the closing banquet each week affirmed that this venue was
powerfully used in people's lives by God.

One of the most highly vaunted and deeply appreciated aspects of
Family Camp is the college-age staff who work with all the kids age 18 and
under. The majority of these cream-of-the-crop servants spent the summer
serving with the Friesens at Campus by the Sea, so they were well-trained and
at the top of their game for the two weeks at Camp Berea. Not only did they put
together a great program for their students, but more importantly, they walk
the talk. They model for their very impressionable charges what it means to be
real and Christlike, which contributes to the long term value of the family
camp experience.

Family Camp is truly a vacation with a purpose. The purpose is
accomplished not just through the formal times of teaching, but also through
great times of worship, free afternoons for a variety of recreational options,
and evenings with fun all-family activities. Campers enjoyed the fully equipped
waterfrontcomplete with a sandy beach, the "blob", a water slide, kayaks,
sailboats, and water skiingas well as paintball, riflery, archery,
softball, tennis, a rock wall, carpetball, "gaga", basketball, and crafts. The
evenings included an evening of square/line/swing dancing and the riotous
"Faithful Family Bingo" night. In addition, nine baptisms and a child
dedication were performed during the two weeks, making family camp a time of
establishing a variety of rich memories. In a myriad of ways, families were
encouraged to experience how good it is to be together and to live out God's
design for the family.

One family wrote, "We can not thank you enough for your
willingness to share from your heart the love of Jesus... You all have great
servant hearts and my family is blessed to be touched by the hand of God
through you. God has blessed you and you in turn bless us!"

Plans are under way for Family Camps 2007, which will be held at
Camp Berea August 1117 and August 1824. Only 50 weeks from
now